We all have that one missed opportunity we still think about. On Marshals, for Kayce (Luke Grimes) and Cal (Logan Marshall-Green), it’s meeting Rudy Carpenter (Braxton Hale) on a mountain. They were there to rescue someone, so they let the man walk off the mountain.
Later, they learned he was a most wanted criminal. Then, when they were on his trail, they had to drop everything to battle people at East Camp. So, Rudy has slipped their net twice. In this week’s episode, “Blast Radius,” they get their next chance. Let’s dive in. SPOILERS BELOW.
Troubled team
Before we dive into the focus of the week, we catch up with our team. And they are all struggling in their own way. For Cruz (Ash Santos) and Kayce, it’s serving warrants overnight. Cruz wants to be out and in on the action, so she doesn’t have to dwell on what happened. She’s still struggling in the wake of being kidnapped. She’s trying to hide it, but it’s getting harder to push it all down.
Kayce, meanwhile, is still focused on Tate. Last week he got Tate help, which helps solve the problem, but it leaves him feeling a little helpless. Diving into his work and applying his skills to bringing in targets gives him purpose and focus. He and Cruz make for a good team as each buries their personal issues while focusing on their work.
Meanwhile, Belle (Arielle Kebbel) has her own challenges. While she’s out running errands with her son, a man approaches and reminds her she owes money. She’s given a deadline and a not-so-subtle threat. It’s been floating in the background, and now Belle may have her own challenge.
Cal also has challenges. He’s going through treatment, and Harry (Brett Cullen) arrives to remind him he’ll be on leave soon. He wants to talk about a temporary team leader and is tapping Cruz. All that does is serve to make Cal feel pressured and like he’s being replaced. When a chance at Rudy pops back up, and Harry continuously reminds him he let Rudy get away, it doesn’t help Cal.
Neither does the pressure from Miles (Tatanka Means). Miles has been trying to cover for Cal with Maddie (Morgan Lindholm), but it’s getting tougher. She’s noticed that Cal is off his game and suspects something is up. So, Miles suggests it’s past time for Cal to come clean and free him from having to lie.
The hunt for Rudy
One of the targets brought in by Cruz and Kayce offers a tip on Rudy. Turns out he might still be in the area. It sounds thin, but Gifford pushes them to pursue it all. Cal puts the team in motion but leaves Cruz behind to run point in the office. In part it seems to be sidelining her because of Gifford’s push.
But on the hunt, Cal and Miles find a lead. They find a bag with the rifle that Rudy stole along with some notes on a paper. The notes turn out to be a dark web address, which gives them a lead to a local gang and an auto shop. The team runs a raid and quickly puts them down. Turns out they were hiding Rudy in exchange for pipe bombs, but when they delivered blasting caps, Rudy disappeared.
That means Rudy is planning something on his own. When some commercial-grade explosives are taken from a construction site, it’s clear he’s planning something big. The team finds Rudy and a white van on security footage and begins searching for him. The van pulls off the highway, giving them a defined search area. The overhead surveillance shows that he’s at an abandoned farm where he’s testing his explosives.
The team descends, and a shootout ensues. Rudy is hit a few times, mostly in the vest, and dives into a barn to regroup. Cal suggests caution as they surround the barn. But Kayce pushes that he might escape again. So, Kayce and Cruz make entry. They find Rudy in the back, and he’s wounded but not out of the game. His thumb is on the trigger, and he blows a bomb just as Kayce and Cruz try to dive away.
There is a lot at play for this team. All of them are distracted. All of them are off their game. And Harry isn’t helping with his pressure on Cal. That leads to a bad decision at the end of the episode and a cliffhanger. It’s hard to believe that either Kayce or Cruz won’t make it, but there will be repercussions.
Marshals airs Sundays on CBS and streams the next day on Paramount+.
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